Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia won the sprint at the Indonesia Grand Prix in Mandalika on Saturday (September 28, 2024) to make up ground on Jorge Martin in the World Championship standings after the Pramac Racing rider crashed while leading.
The Italian Ducati rider's sprint victory in sweltering conditions at the Mandalika International Street Circuit moved him up to 329 points, 12 behind Martin, ahead of Sunday's race.
Bagnaia turned up the aggression after rocketing off the line to move up from fourth to second, and took the lead when Martin, who had taken pole in qualifying earlier in the day with a lap record, crashed in the first lap.
After moving in front, Bagnaia coasted to victory and crossed the finish line ahead of Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini and Gresini Racing's Marc Marquez.
Marquez crashed twice in qualifying and started in the fourth row, but got a remarkable start to move up to fifth in the first lap.
Marco Bezzecchi of VR46 Racing, who began on the front row, was second for the first half of the sprint but dropped down into fourth after he locked up his front tyre and nearly crashed into Bagnaia.
After dropping out of the lead Martin did his best to work his way back up from the bottom but could not secure any points, frantically overtaking a string of riders to finish 10th.
Published - September 28, 2024 01:21 pm IST
